The present invention relates to a cable reel comprising a rotatable drum from which the cable is wound off against the action of a spring which is tightened during winding off, and a brake adapted to prevent the drum from rotating in the winding-up direction and releasable to release the drum in order to wind up the cable by means of the spring.
Cable reels of this kind are used extensively, particularly in vacuum cleaners. The energy required for rotation of the drum during winding of the cable is provided by the spring, and the brake mechanism locks the drum automatically when the desired cable length has been wound off. For this purpose the brake mechanism generally comprises some type of catch arrangement which allows the drum to rotate in one direction only, i.e. the winding-off direction. When the cable is to be wound up, the catch must be made inoperative which is performed by means of a puch button or a pedal. In the cable reels used hitherto the push button or the pedal must be kept pushed down during the whole time the cable is wound onto the drum, since the brake is otherwise applied immediately so that the rotation is interrupted.